The Best Home For All Time
by GoldGuardian2418
Summary: A young girl finds a loving home after a tragedy. Inspired by John Micheal Montgomery's "The Little Girl". Rated T for mentions of death and violence. Fluff in the end!


**I got the idea from this story after listening to John Micheal Montgomery's "The Little Girl", which starts out sad but in the end is happy. So fair warning, this story will make you cry a little.**

**I only own Ella, Sergeant Williams, the Grant Mansion, and Rachel. Everything else belongs to their respective owners.**

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><p><strong>The Best Home For All Time<strong>

The fighting just kept going on, like it did every evening. Ella was hiding in her room under the bed as she covered her ears, but could still hear her parents arguing. It made her very sad. During the day, it wasn't too bad. Her mom would just sleep and her father would leave and not come back until nightfall. She did her best to avoid them.

She was now twelve years old and couldn't remember a night when her parents didn't argue about the things they argued about. She then jumped when she heard them stomp up the stairs and she heard them pass by her closed door and the other bedroom door slammed shut. Settling down under her bed, Ella held her pillow tight and fell asleep.

The days that followed were the same. Ella made herself a bowl of cereal as she looked outside. She watched the birds as she ate. After she finished, she put her bowl in the sink which was piled high with dirty dishes that hadn't been done in a while.

Suddenly, she heard her father's truck roar up into the yard. Immediately, she scrambled up the stairs, scared as she heard the truck door slam. Her father was home early, much earlier than usual. Afraid of what would happen, Ella hid under her bed and covered her ears.

She must have fallen asleep because suddenly, someone was shaking her shoulder and she woke up, fear filling her that her father had come into her room, but the face she saw wasn't her father. It was a policeman.

"It's okay," he said soothingly. "Can you come out?"

Ella didn't feel afraid of him as she came out, wondering why he was here. He looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Ella," he said. "I'm afraid your parents are gone."

Ella looked at him. "Gone?" she asked, not understanding.

The policeman looked uncertain, but then cleared his throat. "They died," he said, leaving out how they had died. It was too horrific for a young girl. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe."

He stood up and held out his hand. Sensing he was nice, Ella took his hand and followed him downstairs where she saw the plastic and the yellow crime tape and the policeman gently held her to his side to keep her from seeing the horrible scene and got her into his cruiser and drove off, calling a number on his cellphone.

They soon arrived one hour later at a huge mansion where the police officer took her up to the stairs and knocked on the door, which was opened by a young woman. "Sergeant Williams," she said in greeting and noticed the girl beside him. "This is Ella?"

"Yes," he said as she motioned him and the young girl in. "Ella, this is Rachel. I called her after we left the other place."

Rachel kneeled to be level with the young girl. "Sergeant Williams told me what happened," she said. "I'm sorry you lost your parents, honey."

"What are parents?" asked Ella.

"A mother and father," answered the older woman who then looked a bit confused. "You didn't know that, sweetie?" she asked gently.

Ella shook her head. "No," she said. "Do I have parents?"

Sergeant Williams also kneeled to Ella's eye level. "They died, Ella, back at your old house," he said gently.

The young girl looked at him. "They didn't seem like my parents," she said. "I've seen it on TV."

Rachel took Ella's small hands into her own. "What did the parents on TV look like?" she asked gently.

"Happy and they said they loved their children," said Ella. "I guess mine didn't."

"Well, that's going to change," said the owner of the Grant Mansion. "I'm sure someone will adopt you here at the Mansion, but for right now, my fiancée and I will be your temporary guardians."

Rook came out and kneeled down to Ella's eye level and the girl looked at him curiously and stepped closer, her small hands reaching up and touching his face and he smiled gently. "I do look different, don't I?" he asked her.

She smiled. "I think you're nice," she said. "Just like them."

She pointed to Rachel and Sergeant Williams, who both smiled and stood up as the young woman and Revonnahgander signed the paperwork to be Ella's temporary guardians until she was adopted.

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><p>The next few days, Ella saw how different Rachel and Rook were from her former parents. They made sure she had clothes to wear, food to eat, and even toys and books. Rook helped her with reading since they both knew Ella hadn't had any schooling and although she was almost a teenager, she was a very bright girl and smart, catching on the lessons right away. Even Brainstorm tutored her and remarked how quick Ella was to learn the lesson, which made Rachel and Rook happy.<p>

One night, as they were tucking Ella in bed, the young girl sat up. "Rachel? Rook?" she asked. "You won't ever hurt me, will you?"

"Never," said Rachel firmly.

"No one will hurt you again," said Rook. "We'll make sure of it."

"You promise?" asked Ella.

They nodded. "We promise," said Rachel as both she and Rook accepted hugs from the girl. Ella loved hugs from them because it made her feel loved and safe. She pretty much hugged everyone and even some of the tougher aliens didn't mind giving the twelve-year-old hugs, as they knew it helped her to feel like she belonged.

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><p>One day, Ella looked around the Grant Mansion, amazed at how big it was and how many aliens lived there. It was all so amazing and one room on the side caught her eye. It was a room that had a lot of books about clocks and mechanical devices and even books about time. Curious, she picked one up and began to read. After a bit, her eyes began to droop as a result of not enough sleep the night before and she saw the bed in the room. Hoping whoever owned this room wouldn't mind if she took a quick nap, she lay down and fell fast asleep with the book beside her.<p>

Clockwork came in after a long day at work and headed for his room, seeing Rachel standing there. Seeing him, she motioned him to be quiet, pointing into his room where he saw Ella fast asleep and he chuckled.

"Rachel, I've been thinking a bit and if you and Rook are alright with it, I'd like to adopt Ella," he said.

Rachel smiled as Rook came up, having heard it. "I think Ella would love that," said Rachel.

"I agree," said Rook.

The next morning, Rachel called Judge Forhowser and asked him to come with adoption papers, explaining that Clockwork wanted to adopt Ella. The good judge agreed and came over.

After going through the questions, the judge had Rachel and Rook sign the paperwork to allow Clockwork to adopt the young girl and then the robot-like alien signed the papers as well.

Ella came down to see what was happening. Rachel turned and smiled at her and went over to her. "Ella, I have good news," she said. "Clockwork has adopted you. You have a new father."

The girl looked surprised and then looked at her. "But, I thought you and Rook were my guardians," she said.

"We were, but now we're your aunt and uncle," Rachel said gently. "You're part of the family now."

Ella looked at her with surprise. "You mean it?" she asked.

Rachel nodded and caught the young girl who jumped into her arms, hugging her before heading off to hug Rook and Clockwork, who both hugged her back. Clockwork held his new daughter as she began to cry a little, but he rubbed her back soothingly, doting on her the way a father should.

Several months passed and Ella now stood up from her desk in her room and put her school books away as it was Friday. Clockwork had just come in to see his daughter putting her books away. "Have you finished your schoolwork, Ella?" he asked.

"Yes, Daddy," she said. "Auntie Rachel graded my test and I passed it with an A."

Clockwork smiled. "Very good," he said, catching her and tickling her, making her giggle as he tickled her stomach playfully for a bit before they headed downstairs where Rachel and Amy were putting dinner on the table.

As the whole family sat down to eat, Ella smiled as she gazed at them all, happy to have the best home and the best family in her life.

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><p><strong>Ella now has a new family.<br>**

**Also, good news: There will be a sequel to this story. One of my OCs from another story will return, so be on the lookout!**

**Please leave a review, but no flames!**

**GoldGuardian2418**


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